Roses and thorns: 8/31/14

Faye Walker, of West Point, carries her umbrella with her during the peak hot hours of the day Saturday during West Point's 36th Annual Prairie Arts Festival. The festival accommodated crowds with entertainment, food and artisan booths. Photo by: Luisa Porter/Dispatch Staff

August 30, 2014 11:47:37 PM

A rose to George Lowe Jr. and fellow members of the Columbus High School Class of 2004. As part of its 10-year reunion, members attended a pep rally at CHS on Friday, providing words of encouragement and lessons they've learned in the 10 years since graduation. Time often provides a perspective like nothing else, and we applaud the Class of 2004 for taking the time to share what they have learned with today's Falcons, who may not always recognize how their current lives as students help shape their futures.

A rose to West Point, which also put its best foot forward with two excellent events this weekend -- the 19th Annual Howlin' Wolf Memorial Blues Festival, which pays homage to native son and legendary bluesman Chester Arthur Burnett, aka Howlin' Wolf. The highlight was Friday's concert, which featured 2014 International Blues Champion "Mr. Sipp: The Mississippi Blues Child" and George Porter Jr., famous from his days with The Meters. That event was followed by Saturday's 36th Annual Prairie Arts Festival at Sally Kate Winters Park and parts of downtown. The two festivals affirm West Point's reputation as a town that loves and supports the arts.

A rose to the organizers and the roughly 500 participants in Wednesday's "Get Swept Up" event in Starkville. For the seventh year now, volunteers spruce up the city on the Wednesday before the university's first home football game. Not only does the event demonstrate community pride, it also serves as a means of bringing together different groups, both on-campus and from the community, in working toward a common goal. During its short run, "Get Swept Up" has become a tradition both for the university and the Starkville community.

A rose to a man who was observed comforting a boy frightened about getting a shot in a doctor's waiting room on Tuesday. The boy, a special needs sixth-grader, was nervous about receiving a shot. The man innocently hugged the boy, encouraged him to "take it like a man" and proceeded to visit with him about school. It was a random kind act from one stranger to another. What if we all looked after each other this way?